North America boosts EU sustainable soy supply

21-May-2012 - Last updated on 22-May-2012 at 09:25 GMT

Related tags Genetically modified organism

European food manufacturers can access thousands more tonnes of segregated sustainable soy from North America after certified supplies have become available from producer Lang Farms.

The new stream of soy is guaranteed as purely from a sustainable source through ProTerra Sustainability Certification of Canada-based Lang Farms and Manna International, which exports to Europe.

The mark guarantees the soybeans are uncontaminated by genetically modified variants, which has been a growing concern of processors in recent years. Low availability of segregated sustainable supplies has been a frustration for firms that want to switch to sustainable sourced stocks, but find larger manufacturers have already earmarked the lion’s share.

In addition, it adds another geographical stream to the range of such soy available, with the majority currently coming from Brazil and Argentina. This would improve security of supply at a time when climate change is wreaking havoc with raw material yields as crops are hit by unseasonably bad weather.

Cert ID certification

Lang Farms already has Cert ID Non GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) certification and is registered with iSYS. Tony Lang, owner of Lang Farms, believes the addition of ProTerra Chain of Custody certification shows the way the supply chain is moving.

“The European food industry recognises the benefits of non-GMO, sustainably farmed soybeans so the fact that Lang Farms is now able to offer thousands of tonnes of soybeans from Canada, verified with ProTerra Certification is a real opportunity,” said Lang. “We began with traceability, then non-GM certification and now sustainability to complete the circle.”

He said the move would “give the food industry – where sustainability is increasingly important – reassurance that they are purchasing the highest quality, ethically sourced and environmentally responsible ingredients”.

Gerry Fowler from Manna said: “We see sustainability as both an emerging and a further defining issue of quality, particularly in Western European markets and we want to stay at the forefront of this development in North America.”